Once you lace up your pointe shoes, there's nothing like the high of becoming one with the music. Everything else in the world fades away when the music begins. Your breathing coincides with each graceful movement, as your feet whisk you away across the dance floor. Like “The Nutcracker,” every dance to a dancer seems like a magical fairytale… and we get to dance it.

Croise devant, demi plié and arabesque may seem like foreign terms to outsiders, but to dancers, these moves are within a beautiful language all their own. Dance is not just a hobby or passion… it's a lifestyle.
From tiny tutus to the big leagues, we've danced our hearts out on stage in gorgeous leotards and costumes; we've dealt with all sorts of blisters on our feet. The irreplaceable memories that have gotten us to where we are today show that the battle scars are well worth it. Within the elegance of being a dancer, it's also an extreme workout.

Any dancer will tell whoever thinks dancing is not a sport that they’re completely wrong and encourage them to try dancing in our shoes for a day.   Professional dancer Shanna LaFleur once said:
It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer.

Dancers grew up with each choreographed number being a magnificent work of art — the stage as their palette and each move, a vibrant color. In addition to harnessing creativity, dance is an outlet to alleviate daily stresses and bring so much happiness to those who embrace it. It's an incredible escape from reality, where you can lose yourself in the movements. There's actually research that proves people who grew up as dancers are less stressed and happier.

According to Prevention, Swedish researchers conducted a study involving 112 female teens. Each of the girls was dealing with back and neck pain, anxiety, depression or stress. Half of the studied teenagers were involved in dance classes each week, while the other half of the girls did not attend classes. The results were very positive for the teens who incorporated dancing into their weekly routines. Mental health was improved for these girls, and it was also reported they experienced a mood boost.
In a press release, lead study author Anna Dubert stated, “…dance can result in high adherence and a positive experience for the participants.”

Prevention goes on to say it's never too late to benefit from dancing, and you don't even have to be a prima ballerina to reap its rewards. Enrolling in ballet, modern or lyrical classes after work/on the weekend is a great way to incorporate dancing into your life. And soon enough, you'll be twirling down the pathway to happiness.

Psychology Today says dancing makes you happier than simply hitting up the gym or going for a run.  A study conducted at the University of London involved patients dealing with anxiety disorders.  They dedicated time to one of the following therapeutic environments: an exercise class, a modern-dance class, a math class or a music class.  Out of all the settings, the modern-dance class was the one environment that reduced anxiety a significant amount.
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Author Vicki Baum once said:  There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.
Another benefit of dancing frequently is that it stimulates the mind and sharpens cognitive skills at every age.  Dancing stimulates different brain activities at the same time, including emotional, rational, kinesthetic and musical.  This increases the way your brain functions in a positive way.  Imagine that, a fun activity with a wealth of health benefits that keeps us in shape, makes us feel good and makes us smarter!
I’m a dancer, and I have done it all: ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, Irish, hip-hop and plain-old rocking it on the dance floor.  I have to say, I agree 100 percent with the conducted research. Dancing has all of these benefits and so much more.​

Happy feet are truly good for the mind, body and soul.

- Alexa Mellardo

Why Dance?The number of people taking part in dance classes world wide is increasing, with dance allowing people to be more active, socialise within local communities and develop creative skills.

There are numerous benefits to partaking in dance classes ranging from increasing your amount of daily exercise to making new friends with shared interests. In the European Union the weekly exercise targets for children are currently set at a minimum of 1 hour per day for children and at least 30 minutes, five times a week, for adults. Although these targets may look daunting at first, they can easily be met by attending dance classes. Some of the benefits to increasing the amount of exercise you do are; reduced stress levels, improved relaxation, stronger bones and muscles and help to control body weight.

Dance also offers an activity for people who may not consider themselves as ‘sporty’. The benefit of dance is not only that of increased exercise, but the participation in an art form, which is routed in technique, and giving the opportunity for a creative outlet.

Dance can also open new opportunities in terms of careers. The entertainment industry is vast, employing an estimated 30,000 in dance related roles in the UK alone. There are numerous professions in dance from dancing, teaching, choreography or dance notation. In addition to this, people work in the dance industry as; community dance practitioners, promoters, producers, designers, publicists, technicians, physiotherapists, medical and alternative practitioners, therapists, writers and academics.


The skills developed in dance can also be valuable transferable skills that can be applied to any career path. The confidence gained through achievements in dance helps to build social skills, increase self esteem and the ability to communicate well in a group. These skills once built up through partaking in dance can lead to a variety of career routes.

Taking the first step can be the hardest, but by using this site to find qualified teachers, you can be assured of high quality of training.

Ten reasons to participate

• Dance keeps both the body and the brain active, vital for people of every age
• Dance offers a way to improve strength and flexibility, which helps keeps muscles and joints healthy
• Choosing to start a new hobby can help you meet new people and make friends with people who have similar interests
• Dance helps you learn about your body, improving your posture and balance
• Taking time out in the day to partake in a hobby can help to reduce stress levels
• Dance can offer insight into other cultures, either through the dance style itself or meeting new people
• Dance can led to new career opportunities, or help build vital communications skills needed in every profession
• Participating in dance can help increase your self esteem and confidence through mastering new skills
• Dance offers a creative outlet for people to express their personalities in a safe environment
• Dance is a fun way open up new possibilities, keep healthy and enjoy yourself

From Dance-Teachers.org

Here are the things that we want you to know.

1. We are teaching your daughters to take up space. We are asking them to stretch out, to stand tall, to open their arms like wings. We are asking them to move large. To be enormous. To spread out. We are asking them to move from one corner to another in three steps. If this carries over into their life at home, just know that we encouraged it. It may mean they spread all their belongings out all over the house. It may mean they sprawl out on the couch so that no one else may sit. You have every right to ask them to clean up and share space, but just know that they may have gotten the idea from us and we think it's just grand that they're listening.
2. We are asking your daughters to make noise. We are encouraging them to raise their voice. To scream with joy. To pound the floor with their feet. To ask questions. To be heard. To sing with the music. To hum out loud. To say their steps while they do them. We are teaching them to question things when they don't understand what's happening in their body. We are giving them permission to speak. We hope that you do the same at home. Questions may arise about their body, about being female, or about situations in life that they don't agree with or understand. We encouraged that. We encouraged them to sing in the shower and to tap while they're on the toilet. We just want you to know, we're doing everything we can to keep them from being silent.
3. We are telling your daughters to eat. We are teaching them that dancers are athletes, and athletes need fuel. We are teaching them that energy is required for every movement – even a simple pose. We are teaching them that food provides energy and that no one has the right to tell them otherwise. If your dance teacher is telling your daughter what to eat, or telling them not to eat, then I need you to think twice about where your daughter is taking her lessons. If you need any incentive to pull your daughter from an abusive teacher, please visit my personal blog where my story along with countless others will convince you there is more to life for your daughter than a teacher who tries to control her diet or weight.
4. We are showing your daughter that dance is a love for life. Good teachers teach technique and choreography. Great teachers pass along the love for dance. Technique is important, absolutely. Choreography is beautiful and crucial to building stamina. But the love of dance is the key that holds it all together. We want your daughter to dance for the rest of her life – whether it's one Zumba class a week while she's the CEO of a major corporation or it's eight shows a week on a Broadway stage. We want her to know that dance can be the medicine that keeps us healthy, regardless if it ends up being our career or not. So please, we beg of you, do not ask her to keep still as she tap dances down the cereal aisle. Please, do not ask her to stop stretching in front of the television. Please, let her move and wiggle and dance every single minute that her body lets her.
5. And finally, we are teaching your daughter that beauty is so much more than what she sees in the mirror. We are teaching your daughter the beauty in a strong calf muscle built after years of ballet class. We are teaching your daughter the beauty of inner confidence when she walks into an audition room and has that fleeting thought of, do I belong here? We are teaching your daughter the beauty of a simple hand movement, of a wink, of a smile. The beauty of feeling the ground beneath her as she taps out her stressful day. The gorgeousness of teamwork, of perseverance, of self-expression. And we are teaching her how beautiful it is to be herself. To love herself, as she is, regardless of her glasses, or her belly, or her frizzy hair. Because no one, and I mean no one, should be telling her that any of those things are anything but beautiful. Because they are part of her. And that means they are perfect.

That's what we are teaching. We are teaching your daughters how to roar. Loudly and unapologetically. And that's what I hope your dance teachers are teaching your children too. If they are not, I want you to seriously consider a switch, and feel free to contact me to talk about it. Because your daughters deserve nothing less than these things every time they step into that studio. This is what will change the next generation, and this is what I wish I would have had when I was your daughter's age.

I promise to continue teaching all these things. All I ask is that even on her noisiest, messiest, craziest day, you remember that she's only trying on for size, the lessons that we are passing on each week. Whenever you can let her be 100% herself, with complete freedom, without apology, you are breaking the mold and changing the future for your daughter. And I for one, am so proud to be a part of that.


-Amanda Trusty
​SadieJane.com